Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0631 Resugga Castle, Cornwall

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Cornwall and Scilly MCO76 (20898)

NMR:  SW 95 SW 6 (430166)

SM:  1017685

NGR:  SW94005104

X:  194000  Y:  51040  (OSGB36)

Summary

Oval, complex, multiple enclosure hillfort straddling summit of Crow Hill, main enclosure lying on gentle SE-facing slope bordering very steep slope down to St Stephens River valley and close to its confluence with River Fal. On Devonian slates SW of Hensbarrow Downs granite mass, in hilly terrain deeply dissected by small rivers. Commanding views, especially to W. Outerwork of bank and ditch along top edge of slope to N. Surrounding slopes to SW and SE wooded. Sub-circular area 70m by 60m encloses c. 0.3ha, flattened along SE where follows crest of steep scarp to St Stephens River. Earth and rubble rampart, c. 2m high and 10m wide along NW, with terminals bordering entrance gap, and reduced to 0.5m high along to SE. Outer ditch c. 1m-1.5m deep, with rock-cut outer face. Recent dry-stone supporting wall also in parts of ditch outer face, notably S and W sectors. To NW outer enclosure has two sections of rampart c. 45m long, each parallel with, and 35m-40m from, main enclosure, and separated by entrance gap in line with that of main enclosure. Each to c. 2m high and 10m wide with outer ditch 1m-1.5m deep. Beyond these ditches, hollowed route-way formed by double bank and central ditch extends in straight line NW from enclosure entrance for c. 55m, continued beyond by single recent hedge bank extending line of N bank. Main enclosure entrance on NW opposing central entrance of outwork from which hollow-way runs NW. Outerwork never connected to main enclosure, the feature connecting on W is field bank. Interior formerly ploughed, now pasture. Ramparts tree covered. Well-preserved. On 1st Ed. OS map (1881). Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -544956  Y:  6502427  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.895420864006776  Latitude:  50.32313594680605  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Cornwall

Historic County:  Cornwall

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  St Stephen-in-Brannel; Probus

Monument Condition

Ploughed/pasture interior, else good condition. Management agreement, with visitor car park and information board,

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Interior formerly ploughed, now pasture. Ramparts tree covered.

Current Use:
Woodland  
Commercial Forestry Plantation  
Parkland  
Pasture (Grazing)  
Arable  
Scrub/Bracken  
Bare Outcrop  
Heather/Moorland  
Heath  
Built-up  
Coastal Grassland  
Other  

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Oval multiple enclosure hillfort straddling summit of Crow Hill, main enclosure lying on gentle SE-facing slope bordering very steep slope down to St Stephens River valley and close to its confluence with River Fal.

Type:
Contour Fort  
Partial Contour Fort  
Promontory Fort  
Hillslope Fort  
Level Terrain Fort  
Marsh Fort  
Multiple Enclosure Fort  

Topographic Position

Located on Crown Hill overlooking the confluence of the River Fal and a tributary

Position:
Hilltop  
Coastal Promontory  
Inland Promontory  
Valley Bottom  
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop  
Ridge  
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp  
Hillslope  
Lowland  
Spur  

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Spur

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  95.0m

Boundary

Close to parish boundary

Boundary Type:  Parish/Townland


Dating Evidence

None.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC  
1200BC - 800BC  
800BC - 400BC  
400BC - AD50  
AD50 - AD400  
AD400 - AD 800  
Post AD800  
Unknown  

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed. OS map (1881). DOE investigations 1958, 1980.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1881):   OS map.
Other (None):   DOE investigations.

Interior Features

Interior featureless.

Water Source

None

Source:
None  
Spring  
Stream  
Pool  
Flush  
Well  
Other  

Surface

Interior featureless.

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features  
Round Stone Structures  
Rectangular Stone Structures  
Curvilinear Platforms  
Other Roundhouse Evidence  
Pits  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics  
Pits  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds  
Pottery  
Metal  
Metalworking  
Human Bones  
Animal Bones  
Lithics  
Environmental  
Other  

Aerial

None

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked  
None  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roads/Tracks  
Other  

Entrances

Main enclosure has entrance on NW opposing the central entrance of the outwork from which the hollow-way runs NW.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   Main enclosure.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Hollow Way (North west):   None
1. Outworks (North west):   None

Enclosing Works

Earth and rubble rampart, c. 2m high and 10m wide along NW side of enclosure, with slightly expanded terminals bordering an entrance gap, and reduced to 0.5m high along to SE. An outer ditch c. 1m-1.5m deep, with a rock- cut outer face visible. Recent dry-stone supporting wall also in parts of ditch outer face, notably S and W sectors. To NW outer enclosure has two sections of rampart c. 45m long, each parallel with, and 35m-40m from, main enclosure, and separated by entrance gap in line with that of the main enclosure. Each to c. 2m high and 10m wide with outer ditch 1m-1.5m deep. Beyond these ditches, hollowed route-way formed by double bank and central ditch extends in straight line NW from the enclosure entrance for c. 55m, continued beyond by single recent hedge bank extending line of N bank.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.3ha.
Total:   0.3ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Area of outer enclosure not determined

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Complex. Main enclosure quadrants only determined.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  
Unknown  

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  

Surface Evidence

Earth and rubble rampart.

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Rubble  
Wall-walk  
Evidence of Timber  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
Other  

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Murus Duplex  
Timber-framed  
Timber-laced  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
No Known Excavation  
Other  

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  2

Annex:
✗   None

References

Dowson, E., Sheppard, P. and Thomas, C. 1970, Parochal check-lists of antiquities, Cornish Archaeol, 9, 145.

Page, W. ed. 1906. The Victoria History of the County of Cornwall, 1, London: James Street, 464.

Polsue, J. ed. 1867-72. Lake's Parochial History of Cornwall, Vol 1, 162.



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


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